Orphans in Haiti

Let me start by saying that I know very little about the intricacies of international adoption. Perhaps in my future I will have the opportunity to know more.

There are many of us, including me, who see the images of the children in Haiti and our hearts break, and then we know we MUST do something. We have safe homes, open hearts, and a surplus of love- we see in the faces of these children the potential faces of our own children.

There is a lot to be done just to recreate a safe place in Haiti for these children, to tend to any of their medical and physical needs, and to re-establish the infrastructure that will allow for orderly adoptions to take place again.

If you know that God is calling you to bring a child from Haiti into your home and family, please visit MLJ Adoptions WEBSITE. You can read about caring for Haiti's Orphans HERE and inquire about their Haiti hosting and adoption programs HERE.

If the sight of these children has opened your heart to the possibility of adoption, please remember that there are many children here in the US that need a loving stable home and parents who will cherish them. To learn more about adopting from our country's foster care system, I suggest contacting a Foster Family Adoption Agency, like Amara.

"Adopting Teenagers" - Adoptive Families - an amazing familiy

I just got my Adoptive Families Magazine. I really enjoy this magazine. I look forward to reading it every month.

There is always one or two articles that really stick out to me in each issue. I often highlight them here. This month there was one that really hit me, and I am very excited to share it with you.

"Adopting Teenagers" by Gretchan Thompson is on page 38 of the December 2009 issue.



This is "Team Thompson." They are a pretty amazing family. Gretchan tells you why in her blog description.

Normal is over-rated and not nearly as interesting or fun. The story of how a young, single White girl and two Black teenagers redefine the traditional family model and become the All-American Family.

Notice the words "young" and "girl" - she really wasn't kidding. Gretchan was 25 when she adopted her sons Mychael and Malcolm who were ages 11 and 15 at the time. She writes candidly about her fear, her insecurities, their battles, and most importantly about their joy and their triumphs.

She writes about things that we all take for grated as "normal" and how "un-normal" they become when you are the 25 year old mother of two teen-ages sons. Like. . . dating-

"It’s funny how your biggest priority prior to becoming an adoptive parent becomes your lowest concern once you’ve secured the position. And besides, sometimes it's just about doing the right thing--walking the walk you talk, practicing what you preach."

and what her sons call her. . . (yes, people actually ask them that.)

"Mom, they call me Mom just like I call my Mom...and sometimes when they're pissed at me, they probably call me other things, just like I did with my Mom when I was a young. We're just like every other family. I know that might seem difficult to grasp, but we really are just like everyone else."

And what really makes their story fun to read in addition to being really very interesting is Gretchan's great sense of humor.

"So, thanks, normal people, for forcing us to confront the obvious, find resolution and come out stronger and better in the end.
Oh, and normal people, we appreciate that not everyone can be as strong as us, but don't worry, we still accept you."

Gretchan is working on a book called A Real Family. I am looking forward to reading more about their amazing family. In the mean time be sure to read through Team Thompson's blog.

Be an Adoption Ambassador

I am a little behind on my Adoptive Families reading. I usually read at the gym and my two year old has decided that he is no longer going to the kid's club there. . . sigh. And so my August edition of Adoptive Families is more ragged and beaten than any other edition, as it has been dragged around, here, there and everywhere so I can grab a bit of it now and then.

I'm not finished with it quite yet, but there is such a great article in there entitled "Be an Adoption Ambassador" that I knew I wanted to share. In it, AF puts forth questions that you are likely to encounter from friends and families along the way, then provides you with the "crib sheet" for those occasions.

Each question has a short answer followed by an in depth explanation, so be sure to check out the entire article.

1. "Was the adoption terribly expensive? How did you afford it?"
"The average cost of an adoption last year was $27,000. Grants and reimbursements can reduce the expense."

2. "How long does it take? Did you wait forever?"
"The average wait to adopt is about two years."

3. "Is it really possible to adopt an American child? Even a newborn?"
"The vast majority of adoptees are U.S.-born. Internation adoptees just tend to be more visible."

4. "Doesn't open adoption confuse your child?"
"Research on kids in open adoption shows that there's no such effect."

5. "Aren't most adoptees troubled?"
"A research study that's been going on for a decade shows that adopted children do just as well as kids raised in their biological families."

6. "How do you know that your adoption was legal? Weren't you afraid of being scammed?"
"The best way to avoid problems is to work with a large, nonprofit agency or with an attorney who specializes in adoption, and to do plenty of reserach before you sign up."

7. "I'd love to adopt -- how do you get started?"
"What kind of child do you thin will best fit your family?"

Article: Raised in foster care, he didn't think he could be a dad; then he met Christian

The big day has come: Rick Kelly is going to court to finalize his adoption of Christian, 7. As they get ready to go, Rick makes a final check of Christian’s attire. Rick and Christian have known each other since the boy was just 3 years old, when Rick’s own foster parents took in the abused boy.

By Lane DeGregory, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Sunday, June 21, 2009

A beautiful article about how a little boy chose his dad, a man who never thought he could be a father.

Lovely Article in Real SImple Magazine

Kate Simonson and her dad Mike Fieseler

Happy Father's Day

Kate Simonson writes about she and her brother were adopted as teens by "a man who used to date my mom." What a great story.

Read it online at Real Simple.

The Day I Gave My Heart Away

A birth mother shares her story with Adoptive Families Magazine and with us.